Aims: (1) to study the functioning of the fetal pancreas and the interrelationships between pregnancy and experimental diabetes; (2) to investigate factors and conditions influencing the differentiation and growth of the pancreas (islets and acinar cells) and its physiological responsiveness during organ culture and subsequent transplantation; (3) to investigate the feasibility of reversal of diabetes (immediate and long complications) with transplantation of cultured and non-cultured fetal and/or neonatal pancreas; and (4) to study the effects of organ culture on the survival and further development of human fetal pancreas.